Don McPherson, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee from Syracuse and a leading advocate for the prevention of gender-based violence, is the 2020 recipient of the NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award.
"Don McPherson is truly a special person who cares deeply and passionately about our sport," said NFF Vice Chairman Jack Ford, who also chairs the NFF Awards Committee. "Don excelled at the highest levels of football, and he has subsequently used his platform to give back. His work addressing violence against women during the past 25 years has brought much needed attention to the issue, and he has been a staunch advocate for the mission of the NFF, working with us in countless capacities and always answering our call without hesitation. His contributions to the game of football as well as the impact he has made in communities around the country make him a powerful selection for us to honor this year."
"For me, the operative word with this award is amateur," said McPherson. "The reality is that the overwhelming preponderance of guys who play football, don't go pro, and that makes the amateur part of this award really important. . . When you truly care about the game, you realize the stewards of the game are the guys who are involved with the NFF, and when you look at the list of past recipients of this award, it is truly a list of people who care deeply about the game. So, this is very humbling."
McPherson has been a powerful advocate for the NFF over the years, serving in numerous capacities. McPherson, who has worked extensively in TV and radio, has moderated numerous NFF events and press conferences at the national level, and he served on the Hall of Fame Content Committee when it was formed after the facility moved from South Bend, Indiana, to Atlanta. McPherson cites moderating a Black History Month roundtable in 2017 with fellow inductees Thom Gatewood (Notre Dame), Gene Washington (Michigan State) and John Wooten (Colorado) as one of his most memorable NFF moments.
At the local level, he has also spoken at numerous chapter events and participated in youth football clinics. He currently serves on the board of the NFF New York City Chapter while annually emceeing the outpost's scholar-athlete banquet at the New York Athletic Club. Last year, the chapter helped bring the Cortaca Jug, the annual game between Ithaca College (NY) and SUNY Cortland, to MetLife Stadium, smashing the Division III attendance record with 45,161 fans. McPherson calls the moment one of his favorite NFF experiences.
While still playing football in college, McPherson realized that his success on the field gave him an opportunity to extend his influence to the social issues of the day. His work has been nationally recognized, and he has served on numerous committees with a wide range of organizations. His main focus has been combating gender-based violence. He currently conducts 25-to-30 events a year, reaching student-athletes on more than 350 college campuses over the past 25 years. The events include lectures, workshops, and lots of one-on-one discussions with young men.
"The issues that I work to address are bigger than me," said McPherson. "And this is where the game is important because it has given me a platform to help start a conversation on all the issues that we were raised to not talk about like domestic violence or alcoholism in your family, but all of that stuff goes on. And it's the silence that allows the problems to persist. . . . So, breaking the silence is the first step in so many social issues that we have to deal with as a culture."
McPherson was a First Team All-America quarterback at Syracuse University, and he played in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Houston Oilers and in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Ottawa Rough Riders. As captain of the undefeated 1987 Syracuse football team, McPherson set 22 school records, led the nation in passing and won more than 18 national "player of the year" awards, including the Maxwell Award as the nation's best player, the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award and the inaugural Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. He was the Heisman Trophy runner-up. In 2008, McPherson was elected to the
College Football Hall of Fame, and Syracuse retired his No. 9 jersey in 2013.
Don McPherson's Professional Bio
In 2019, Don McPherson authored a 232-page book, "
You Throw Like a Girl: The Blind Spot of Masculinity," which chronicles 36 years of harnessing the power and appeal of sport to address complex social issues and focuses on a quarter century of his work on gender-based violence prevention.
Since 1984, McPherson has delivered school and community-based programs addressing issues such as drunk driving, alcohol and substance abuse, bullying, youth leadership and mentoring. Upon retiring from pro football in 1994, he joined Northeastern University's
Center for the Study of Sport in Society as national director of Athletes in Service to America. In 2002, he founded the
Sports Leadership Institute at Adelphi University in New York, for which he served as executive director until 2007.
In 1995, McPherson turned his focus to the issue of "men's violence against women," as director of Sport in Society's Mentors in Violence Prevention Program, taking over for the program's founder, Jackson Katz. McPherson emerged as a national leader and advocate for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence. He has conducted workshops and lectures for more than 350 college campuses, community organizations and national sports and violence prevention organizations. His programs and lectures have reached more than one million people.
McPherson has twice testified before the United States Congress and has worked closely with the U.S.
Departments of Education and Defense on issues of sexual violence in education and the military, respectively. He has provided commentary on numerous national news programs and was featured in O Magazine and appeared on the "
Oprah Winfrey Show." He also created and hosted
"Training for Life" on MSG Varsity, a life-skills TV show that examined a myriad of social issues and sports. In 2012, Training for Life's episode on "Sports Parenting" was nominated for an
Emmy Award.
McPherson has worked as a college football analyst for ESPN, BET and NBC and spent six seasons as the lead studio analyst for Sportsnet New York's coverage of Big East and American Athletic Conference football. In 2000, while a board member of the Nassau County Sports Commission, McPherson created the
John Mackey Award, which recognizes college football's outstanding tight end.
McPherson has received several honors in recognition of his service, including the inaugural
Voices of Solidarity Award presented by Vital Voices and the
Frederick Douglas Men of Strength Award given by Men Can Stop Rape;
Champions for Change presented by Lifetime Television; The
Creative Vision for Women's Justice, presented by the Pace University Women's Justice Center; and a Leadership Award from the National Center for Victims of Crime. He has also received the
George Arents Award, Syracuse University's highest alumni honor and
"Letter Winner of Distinction," the highest honor bestowed upon a former Orange student-athlete.
McPherson has served as a board member, consultant and adviser for several national organizations including the
Ms Foundation for Women and the
US National Committee for UN Women. McPherson has also served as a member the
NCAA Task Force on Sexual Violence and the
NCAA Board of Governors Commission to Combat Sexual Violence. Currently he serves on the board of directors for the
NYC Chapter of the National Football Foundation, and he is a member of the advisory board of
Press Forward and
the Solidarity Council of Vital Voices.
